No Ring Drive-chain versus O/X-Ring Drive-chain

I agree with all your points except for cost. In my experience, the wear factor creates a higher cost than the difference in purchase price of the chains.

I differ with you on your conclusion. I prefer O-ring chains, in large part because I agree with you about simple solutions, and I hate adjusting the chain.

Gokai134 said:

Recently had a discussion about the advantage of Ring-chains versus No-Ring chains on offroad-bikes.

I say, that non-ring is better, why:
I do prefer simply solutions
Way cheaper (wear is bigger, but even in comparison: cheaper :wink: )
way less internal friction (why spending hundreds of hard earned money on aftermarket-exhausts, if you can have the same hp-gain with a simple swap of your chain?:shock: )
lighter (unsprung weight) :!:
Very easy to clean (just drop it into petrol/gas)

Any other opinons out there?

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Well, you asked for opinions, so here's mine.

With the low friction x-ring, etc. chains, the drag coefficient is much less than when the first ultra-stiff oring chains came out years ago. There is virtually no difference in final HP, nowhere the same as a performance exhaust. You think a non-ring chain is good for 2 HP? (BTW, I think aftermarket pipes mostly are a waste of money as well).

Easier to clean a non o ring? I guess, if I ever bothered to clean my x/o-ring chain. I think ringed chains require far less maintenance, cleaning included.

On a two stroke 80 or a 125, a regular chain makes sense. On a 550 'Berg, I'll keep my ringed chain. I'm still on the original chain and sprockets on mine, getting close to 2000 miles, racing included. Try that with a regular chain.

Gokai134,

is the mechanical wear of the chain without any rings not very high?

The mud runs in the inside of the chain links (rollers) and is sanding the pins.
The chain will be elongate of this, with the bad effect to the sprokets.

For street bikes, driven only by sunshine, it will be good, but not for dirt bikes.

Give me a low friction ringed chain every time for off road riding. I grew up with all the cleaning and frequent adjustments/replacements required with non ringed chains. The much longer lasting ringed chains have been a tremendous relief.

Incidentally, I don't believe that Johnf3 claimed that a low friction ringed chain will lose 2 HP over a non ringed chain.

Chas said:

Give me a low friction ringed chain every time for off road riding. I grew up with all the cleaning and frequent adjustments/replacements required with non ringed chains. The much longer lasting ringed chains have been a tremendous relief.

Incidentally, I don't believe that Johnf3 claimed that a low friction ringed chain will lose 2 HP over a non ringed chain.

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Right. I think with today's x/o ring chains, it would be hard to measure the difference even on a dyno. Maybe 1/4 hp?

Gokai134 said:

[I hardly must disagree, sorry 8O (as said already: if cleaned, it will outlast the ring-ones)

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this has been the exact opposite of my experience, but perhaps the terrain and conditions have something to do with it.

here in the good ol' usa we have dirt on the ground in many places. sometimes it mixes with atmospheric water to form a dirt/water amalgam (also known as 'mud'). even in a short ride, like 70-80 miles of mountain singletrack, that mud will begin to wreak havoc on a non-ringed chain. and that's only on saturday!!! dunking my chain in poisonous solvents by the campfire when i could be drinking beer and bs-ing is not my idea of a good time. with a ringed chain i can just get up sunday morning, shake out my hangover, and go for another short singletrack of 70-80 miles.

on my 550, that 'chain cleaning' regimen is good for 2500+ miles of backwoods riding. on my 2-strokes, about 4000 miles.

Are you guys serious?
I have just completed the Aus Safari a distance of approx 5500k on an x ring chain. Didnt lube it once (I never lube O-ring chains) and did not adjust it once. I only replaced the previous chain due to the Safari, it is still ok after 4000k and I will use it again now that I am back.
Front sprocket has done 9500klms on and has plenty more left in it.
I clean the chain with soapy water each time I wash the bike and then spray some Dewatering fluid on it to stop corrosion, thats all.

Are you saying you get a better return than that from a non O Ring chain ?

As for the loss in HP, well maybe thats true, but I, like the majority am certainly not a good enough rider to notice the difference.

ozrider said:

Are you guys serious?
I have just completed the Aus Safari a distance of approx 5500k on an x ring chain. Didnt lube it once (I never lube O-ring chains) and did not adjust it once. I only replaced the previous chain due to the Safari, it is still ok after 4000k and I will use it again now that I am back.
Front sprocket has done 9500klms on and has plenty more left in it.
I clean the chain with soapy water each time I wash the bike and then spray some Dewatering fluid on it to stop corrosion, thats all.

Are you saying you get a better return than that from a non O Ring chain ?

As for the loss in HP, well maybe thats true, but I, like the majority am certainly not a good enough rider to notice the difference.

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Which chain? I've run a lot of different brands but can't seem to get more than 2000km out of chain and sprockets. That is in muddy conditions though.

The original chain was a Regina (4000k) and the current is an EK 520 MVXZ.
In all fairness, I have done little mud riding, just never seems to rain here any more

i should probably know this, but what is the correct size drive chain for my 02 fe 400. thanks in advance guys.

My two cents:

I remember riding with non ring chains in the desert, and by the end of an 80 mile event there was definitely some squeaking going on. And you had to remember to lube the chain while it was hot so that the lube would get pulled in. I can remember using the Bel Ray chain lube that turned into a foam to help coat the entire chain. These days I use Maxima chain wax for roller lubrication and corrosion protection. Cleaning a chain using this product is fairly simple, use a little Kroil penetrating oil sparingly on a rag and wipe the outside of the chain down and the old wax comes right off without damaging the O rings.

And, I believe that even with old O ring chains, that once they come up to operating temperature there is little drag.

The best thing about an O or X ring chain is that it keeps all the grease inside the pin/bushing area.

It has been my experience that with ringed chains, that after the initial "set" the chain rarely if ever needs adjusting unless you encounter some extreme conditions, which usually helps wear the rear sprocket if you're running an aluminum one. And it's usually the sprockets that wear out causing replacement of the chain wheels and the chain.

A lot of people make the mistake of running too little chain free play which causes premature wearing of the sprockets and chain, as well as putting a lot of extra strain on the Hub, and the counter shaft bearing. I have found that if you can fit four fingers between the top of the swingarm and the chain, at the end of the swing arm chain slider is a good guide for me. I know that the manual gives you a set distance of chain slack, but, if you really want to check out how much chain tension you have, next time you take the shock off, put the rear axle in line with the swing arm pivot and the counter shaft and see how much free play you have. Obviously you don't want the chain to be bow string tight at this point, nor do you want it to be too loose. I have been checking my chain tension this way for several years now, and you only need to do it once, then check it against the factory setting for comparison.

And a too tight chain will also corrupt the suspension action as the forces are transferred to the cs shaft and hub.

Spray lubes if pointed at the inside side of the chain will also penetrate between the roller and bush as as weel as lubing the roller on the sprocket teeth.

I see more chains that are too tight than too loose. If you are routinely tightening your O/X ring chain then its too tight.

Steve

steve said:

And a too tight chain will also corrupt the suspension action as the forces are transferred to the cs shaft and hub.

Spray lubes if pointed at the inside side of the chain will also penetrate between the roller and bush as as weel as lubing the roller on the sprocket teeth.

I see more chains that are too tight than too loose. If you are routinely tightening your O/X ring chain then its too tight.

Steve

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Good call Steve,

I totally forgot about that!!! And good observation about having to tighten the O ring chain often as well. I forgot about that one too. In fact, I have observed that myself, chain seemed a bit loose, so I tightened it slightly, and within a ride or two, it returned to the same slack. So I just left it alone and the slack as not changed since.